A vivid display

ANOTHER OPINION

ANOTHER OPINION

April 13, 2006

From The Washington Post The sun shone down on the Mall on Monday as tens of thousands of mostly Hispanic immigrants gathered to call for legal recognition. Many carried American flags; some brought children. The speeches began with the Pledge of Allegiance. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., quoted his brother, President Kennedy: "We are a nation of immigrants." As in other cities across the country, the numbers were impressive and the crowd was peaceful. Nevertheless, it is far from clear what kind of effect these rallies will have. Some Democrats and union leaders have been quick to attach themselves to the protests, hoping that Hispanics will turn away from the administration and Republicans in general. Yet on conservative talk shows and in the anti-immigration slice of cyberspace, the rallies have been welcomed on the grounds that they will scare other Americans and turn them against the immigration compromise that the Senate nearly reached last week. It's impossible to predict how the rallies will be received in part because there is no consensus on what to do about the estimated 12 million people who live and work here illegally, which in turn is reflected in the lack of political consensus. But, as the size of the rallies also makes clear, there is one group that knows what it wants. A recent poll of undocumented immigrants published by the National Immigration Forum and the Manhattan Institute shows that 98 percent wished to learn English, 98 percent would become legal residents if they could, and virtually all would be willing to be fingerprinted and pay a fine and back taxes to become legal, if that were required. Their eagerness to contribute, on vivid display this week, ought to count for a lot.